Tripura college teachers threaten indefinite strike. LS Secretariat justifies Speaker's action on pay hike.

The All Tripura Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (ATFUCTO) has threatened an indefinite strike from January 16 to press for implementation of the pay package announced by the UGC. General Secretary of ATFUCTO Nityananda Das today said while college teachers in other states were drawing their salaries in accordance with the pay package effective from January 2006, the teachers of Tripura were still getting salaries as per the scales revised in 1996. “The teachers of Tripura Central University and National Institute of India, Agartala, are also receiving their salaries according to the UGC pay package of 2006, but not the college teachers here,” Das told reporters. He said as part of the stir, college teachers of the state would observe a one-day strike tomorrow [29th].

Source : Morning Express.

Loksabha Pay Hike Controversy.

Speaker Meira Kumar's action of hiking pay of Lok Sabha staff facing anomalies in their salary has triggered a controversy with objections being raised by the Finance Ministry.

However, the Lok Sabha Secretariat Monday claimed the Speaker was well within her rights of doing so.

The Speaker has granted two increments to the staff with Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary saying, "this has been done to remove certain anomalies that arose following implementation of the cadre review for Lok Sabha staff done two years ago".

He insisted that the Speaker has the autonomy to decide on these issues as per certain provisions of the Constitution and the rules made thereunder.

"The Lok Sabha budget is finalised by the Secretariat and approved by the Speaker," he said adding "what has been done is to remove the anomalies. The Speaker need not consult the Finance Ministry or the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry. This is within our budget. She has absolute authority".

Achary's comments came in the wake of reports that the Finance Ministry has objected to the move.

Ministry sources said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee merely pointed out to the Lok Sabha Secretariat that any change in salaries has to go through a process under the Ministry of Finance.

"It is neither the prerogative of Parliament nor the Finance Minister himself to take any decision on it", they said.

Lok Sabha sources, however, expressed ignorance about the Finance Ministry raising any objection. "We have not heard anything", they said.

Achary said that when the pay was fixed, the Secretariat came to know about certain anomalies and it was suggested that two more increments should be given to those who did not get the benefit of the cadre revision.

"The proposal was mooted earlier. We looked at it very seriously," Achary said but did not specify how many of the 2,600 employees of the Lok Sabha would benefit by the move.

Besides, he said that the move was limited only to Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha as the Lower House only had undertaken a cadre review in 2007. He also dismissed suggestions that the move was in anyway related to Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

Source : PTI/Zee News.